Raelin the Kyrie Warrior
Raelin the Protector, Raelin the Kindhearted, Raelin the Valorous; this beautiful, benevolent Kyrie is called many such names by her loyal followers. A native of Valhalla, Raelin enjoyed a carefree and adventurous youth; then the war began, and her abiding friendship with Jandar bound her to his cause. To the relief of friendly forces, Raelin will often swoop into the throes of battle and, striking the ground with her magical Spear of Gerda, engulf them in a shimmering blue force field. The warriors within this aura are instantly protected - even from Mimring's ferocious Line of Fire. Stats *Life: 5 *Move: 6 *Range: 1 *Attack: 3 *Defense: 3 *Points: 80 Abilities *'Defensive Aura': All figures you control within 4 clear sight spaces of Raelin add 2 to their defense dice. Raelin's Defensive Aura does not affect Raelin. *'Flying': When counting spaces for Raelin's movement, ignore elevations. Raelin may fly over water without stopping, pass over figures without becoming engaged, and fly over obstacles such as ruins. When Raelin starts to fly, if she is engaged she will take any leaving engagement attacks. Synergy *May benefit from Atlaga's Kyrie Leadership movement bonus ability. Behind the Game This is the original Raelin the Kyrie Warrior (often called the First or Original Raelin) who was included in the Rise of the Valkyrie Master Set. She was the second most popular unit in the game (second only to Sgt. Drake Alexander) as she could turn even the weakest unit into a powerful defensive opponent. *'“Clear Sight Spaces”' What does "clear sight spaces" mean? From page 15 of the 2nd edition rules: "To determine clear sight, use Raelin's Target Point. If she can see any part of your figures (not just the Hit Zone) within the 4 spaces, they are affected by the Defensive Aura." (Hasbro FAQ) Strategy Raelin's use is obvious, she is a superior version of Thorgrim the Viking Champion in almost every way. Her defense boost is twice his, the range for her ability is four times his and she can fly, allowing her to move over terrain with ease. However, unlike Thorgrim, she cannot bond with any squad and there is no benefit when she dies. Therefore, keeping Raelin alive and to the rear is paramount. Raelin works best defensively: find a good place for her and then leave her there. Arrange the units you want her to protect around her and wait until your opponent comes to you. Krav Maga Agents, Warriors of Ashra and Sentinels of Jandar are some of the best squads to use with her. Attempting to use Raelin offensively usually ends in failure. The tricky thing about Heroes that boost other units but don't bond with those units is getting them and their allies to the fight together. Since she can't be bonded with, players must place Order Markers on her card and forfeit using a more powerful assault squad for that turn. When trying to rush an enemy position in this way, most opponents will use this to their advantage and either Raelin will be killed because she went in first and had no one to protect her, or the squad (or hero) who went in first will be killed by the time she arrives because she wasn't there to boost their defense. =Raelin the Kyrie Warrior (Mark 2)= Raelin the Merciful, Raelin the Resolute, Raelin of the Spear. All of these brave names and many more sing the praises of one of Jandar’s boldest champions. A unique creature even among her own race of Kyrie, she flies through the skies filling her enemies with dread as they see her approach in the distance. Few characters have her speed and strength in combat, and her mere presence on the battlefield becomes an inspiration to all allies around her. Her Spear of Gerda has become a famed weapon as its blue energies protect all those around her. With the certain knowledge that Raelin is guarding an ally’s back, friendly forces become better able to defend themselves, turning into killing machines as she protects their flank. Common troops flock to her side in support of her attacks, as her spirit and brave deeds are an inspiration to the allies surrounding her. Flying above the canopy of the Ticalla Jungle, she’s the perfect scout, ignoring the thick vines constantly pulling on the rest of Drake’s squad. Complex land features like jungles, swamps, and mountain ridges mean nothing to her. Her powerful wings carry her through the skies. Stats: *Life: 5 *Move: 6 *Range: 1 *Attack: 3 *Defense: 3 *Point Value: 120 Abilities: *'Whirlwind Assault': Raelin may attack any or all figures adjacent to her. Roll each attack separately. *'Extended Defense Aura': All figures you control within 6 clear sight spaces of Raelin add 1 to their defense dice. Raelin's Extended Defensive Aura does not affect Raelin. *'Flying': When counting spaces for Raelin's movement, ignore elevations. Raelin may fly over water without stopping, pass over figures without becoming engaged, and fly over obstacles such as ruins. When Raelin starts to fly, if she is engaged she will take any leaving engagement attacks. Synergy *May benefit from Atlaga's Kyrie Leadership movement bonus ability. Behind the Game This is the second version of Raelin the Kyrie Warrior (often called the Second Raelin or Raelin Mark 2) who was included in the Swarm of the Marro Master Set. Per the rules of the game, only one version of Raelin may be used per player. Strategy: The Second Raelin was made to fix the issue of the first Raelin being only consistently reliable as a stationary defensive unit. The Mark 2 Raelin, while she only has half the defensive boost of the original, has a range of 6 spaces for the ability. This allows her to stay further back (and out of danger) when backing up an assault. If she is attacked, her whirlwind ability allows her to strike back at multiple attackers - this also allows her to lead the assault by landing in first, striking multiple opponents and then being reinforced (by Sentinels of Jandar, for instance) on the next turn. However the second Raelin's point cost (120) is significantly more expensive then the original Raelin, while her defensive boost (while having a wider sphere of influence) is half the original's. This leads many players to prefer the original, especially in a 700 point army (the most commonly used point limit), and even more so in a 500 point army (the second most common point limit). Most players feel that the Second Raelin is best used in an epic warfare game, allowing a point limit of 1,000 or more. Trivia * Raelin is one of the most popular characters in Heroscape, as she appears in various media, wherein she is seen to have a very close friendship with Sgt. Drake Alexander. Category:Jandar Category:Kyrie Category:Unique Hero Category:Rise of the Valkyrie Category:Swarm of the Marro